A MARTÍNEZ, HOST:
American swimmers needed a big win at the Paris Olympics, and they got one from Katie Ledecky. At 27 years old, she won her eighth gold medal. Ledecky easily won the 1,500-meter freestyle final, setting a new Olympic record. However, it's only the third gold medal won by U.S. athletes in the pool so far, in a sport Americans often dominate. NPR's Brian Mann watched the race last night. Brian, tell us all about it.
BRIAN MANN, BYLINE: Well, A, this was one of the most remarkable athletic performances I've ever seen. Katie Ledecky showed her power right off the block. She swam fast and just pulled away from the other swimmers, putting in the kind of speed you expect in a much shorter race, but, you know, the 1,500 is long. It's grueling, just shy of a mile, and the question was whether she could keep it up, and she never flagged. She never backed off. There was a massive crowd in La Defense Arena, and it just kept getting louder, roaring as her lead grew to just a remarkable 10 seconds. That's unheard of in Olympic competition unless your name is Katie Ledecky.
MARTÍNEZ: (Laughter).
MANN: After the race, A, she did something really cool. She actually took us inside her head and talked about what was going on while she was in the water.
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KATIE LEDECKY: Mentally, I was just thinking about people in my life - my teammates, my family, my friends. You know, I kind of have this voice in my head, in its positivity, that I try to have in these final races, and - yeah, it was just a very positive, good voice today that definitely helped me along.
MANN: Millions of people watching...
MARTÍNEZ: Wow.
MANN: ...And Ledecky is able to center herself like that. Other athletes say that's one of her superpowers.
MARTÍNEZ: I can barely keep my head together doing this show, and she's just thinking about...
MANN: Yeah.
MARTÍNEZ: ...All her friends and family. So after that Olympic record in the 1,500, she's now won gold medals in four different Summer Games. What was the celebration like?
MANN: You know, the look on Katie Ledecky's face in the pool when she won was fierce and triumphant, and then up on the podium and while hugging her team, it turned to pure joy - just this big grin - and she talked about that moment.
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LEDECKY: I mean, I don't mean to celebrate that much, but it comes out - you know, just the happiness and the joy, it just comes out.
MANN: And this continues a streak. Ledecky hasn't lost this 1,500-meter race in 14 years. When you look back at the 20 fastest times in this race's history, her name is on every single one of them. This is truly a remarkable athlete.
MARTÍNEZ: Yeah, and we're not used to seeing American swimmers struggle the way they are right now in these Olympics.
MANN: Yeah, that's right. Ledecky's performance was only the third gold medal for the U.S, so far. We're most of the way through the swimming competition. We typically see 10 swimming medals in the Summer Games, so for Ledecky to do this - to kind of inspire the team at this moment - was huge. And Ryan Murphy, who swims backstroke for the U.S. - he talked a few days ago about Ledecky's importance to their team.
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RYAN MURPHY: She's constantly pushing the envelope on how she can improve, and it's incredible for our sport. She's one of the best of all time, so we're really lucky to have her on our team, as both an athlete and a leader.
MANN: And Ledecky spoke last night about keeping this remarkable career going. She says she hopes to compete four years from now, when the Summer Olympics come home to Los Angeles.
MARTÍNEZ: That's where I live, Brian. I'm putting my press credential in right now.
MANN: Yeah. Yeah, it's going to be fun.
MARTÍNEZ: OK, so - yeah. Last night was Ledecky's night, but there were some other big performances. Tell us about Leon Marchand.
MANN: Yeah. He's the biggest new face in Olympic swimming, a Frenchman who's won three gold medals here. People are talking about him as the new Michael Phelps and just 22 years old. He's going to be a remarkable guy to watch.
MARTÍNEZ: All right. NPR's Brian Mann in Paris, watching the swimming competitions for NPR. Brian, thank you.
MANN: Thank you, A.
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